1 . Joseph Francis Charles Rock (1884–1962) was an Austrian-American explorer, botanist, and anthropologist(人类学家). For more than 25 years, he travelled extensively through Tibet and Yunnan, Gansu, and Sichuan provinces in China before finally leaving in 1949.
In 1924, Harvard sent Joseph Francis Rock on a treasure hunt through China’s southwestern provinces—the Wild West of their day. But gold and silver weren’t his task : Rock, a distinguished botanist, sought only to fill his bags with all the seeds, saplings, and shrubs he could find. During his three-year expedition, he collected 20,000 specimens for the Arnold Arboretum(阿诺德植物园).
Botany, though, was just one of Rock’s strengths. As an ethnologist(民族学者), he took hundreds of photographs of the Naxi, a tribe in Yunnan province, recording their now-lost way of life for both Harvard and National Geographic, and took notes for an eventual 500-page dictionary of their language. His hand-drawn map of his travels through China’s “Cho-Ni” territory, in the Harvard Map Collection, includes more than a thousand rivers, towns, and mountains indicated in both English and Chinese, and was so well made that the U.S. government used it to plan aerial missions in World War II.
Scientist, linguist, cartographer, photographer, writer—Rock was not a wallflower in any sense. Arrogant and self-possessed, he would walk into a village or warlord’s place “as if he owned the place,” said Lisa Pearson, the Arboretum’s head librarian.
In declaring his successful return under the headline “Seeking Strange Flowers, in the Far Reaches of the World” , the Boston Evening Transcript ran a large photo of the daring explorer wearing in a woolly coat and fox-skin hat. “In discussing his heroism including hair-raising escapes from death either from mountain slides, snow slides and robber armies, he waves the idea away as if it is of no importance.”
The Arboretum and Rock parted ways after 1927, mainly because his trip cost Harvard a fortune—about $900,000 in today’s dollars. Fortunately, many of his specimens, many of his amazing photos, and his great stories remain.
1. What is the passage mainly about?A.Rock’s service for the U.S government. |
B.Rock’s cooperation with Harvard. |
C.Rock’s work as a botanist. |
D.Rock’s exploration in Southwest China. |
A.He traveled through some uncivilized places in China. |
B.His hand-drawn map was used in WWII. |
C.He showed heroism by escaping difficulties. |
D.He made headlines in Boston Evening News. |
A.Excitedly. | B.Proudly. |
C.Calmly | D.Nervously. |
A.The vast expense. | B.The dangerous journey. |
C.The challenging tasks. | D.The unknown world. |
The United Kingdom consists of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Wales was linked
They were united in
England is the
London is the capital city with great historical treasures,
3 . Now elsewhere in the world, Iceland may be spoken of, somewhat breathlessly, as western Europe's last pristine wilderness. But the truth is, once you're off the
When the opportunity arose in 2003 for the national power company to enter into a 40-year
Ostensibly, the Alcoa project was intended to save one of these dying regions— the remote and sparsely populated east— where the way of life had steadily
The contract with Alcoa would infuse the region with foreign
A.beaten | B.explored | C.expired | D.centered |
A.so | B.when | C.if | D.as |
A.government | B.inhabitants | C.countryside | D.scale |
A.designed | B.retained | C.exploited | D.preserved |
A.stage | B.contract | C.transition | D.prosperity |
A.gave up | B.jumped at | C.rushed to | D.made up |
A.revolving | B.developing | C.Stirring | D.Initiating |
A.transferred | B.declined | C.grew | D.reformed |
A.preferred | B.presented | C.resisted | D.imposed |
A.wiped out | B.held up | C.kept down | D.put aside |
A.priceless | B.superficial | C.worthless | D.negative |
A.investment | B.Exclusion | C.invasion | D.landscape |
A.socially | B.immediately | C.accidentally | D.potentially |
A.stabilize | B.wreck | C.diversify | D.consolidate |
A.force | B.wheel | C.instructor | D.signal |
4 . By the end of the century, if not sooner, the world’s oceans will be bluer and greener thanks to a warming climate, according to a new study.
At the heart of the phenomenon lie tiny marine microorganisms(海洋微生物) called phytoplankton. Because of the way light reflects off the organisms, these phytoplankton create colourful patterns at the ocean surface. Ocean colour varies from green to blue, depending on the type and concentration of phytoplankton. Climate change will fuel the growth of phytoplankton in some areas, while reducing it in other spots, leading to changes in the ocean’s appearance.
Phytoplankton live at the ocean surface, where they pull carbon dioxide(二氧化碳) into the ocean while giving off oxygen. When these organisms die, they bury carbon in the deep ocean, an important process that helps to regulate the global climate. But phytoplankton are vulnerable to the ocean’s warming trend. Warming changes key characteristics of the ocean and can affect phytoplankton growth, since they need not only sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow, but also nutrients.
Stephanie Dutkiewicz, a scientist in MIT’s Center for Global Change Science, built a climate model that projects changes to the oceans throughout the century. In a world that warms up by 3℃, it found that multiple changes to the colour of the oceans would occur. The model projects that currently blue areas with little phytoplankton could become even bluer. But in some waters, such as those of the Arctic, a warming will make conditions riper for phytoplankton, and these areas will turn greener. “Not only are the quantities of phytoplankton in the ocean changing. ” she said, “but the type of phytoplankton is changing.”
And why does that matter? Phytoplankton are the base of the food web. If certain kinds begin to disappear from the ocean, Dutkiewicz said, “it will change the type of fish that will be able to survive.” Those kinds of changes could affect the food chain.
Whatever colour changes the ocean experiences in the coming decades will probably be too gradual and unnoticeable, but they could mean significant changes. “It’ll be a while before we can statistically show that the changes are happening because of climate change,” Dutkiewicz said, “but the change in the colour of the ocean will be one of the early warning signals that we really have changed our planet.”
1. What are the first two paragraphs mainly about?A.The various patterns at the ocean surface. |
B.The cause of the changes in ocean colour. |
C.The way light reflects off marine organisms. |
D.The efforts to fuel the growth of phytoplankton. |
A.Sensitive. | B.Beneficial. | C.Significant. | D.Unnoticeable. |
A.Phytoplankton play a declining role in the marine ecosystem. |
B.Dutkiewicz’s model aims to project phytoplankton changes. |
C.Phytoplankton have been used to control global climate. |
D.Oceans with more phytoplankton may appear greener. |
A.To assess the consequences of ocean colour changes. |
B.To analyse the composition of the ocean food chain. |
C.To explain the effects of climate change on oceans. |
D.To introduce a new method to study phytoplankton. |
5 . In the 1960s, while studying the volcanic history of Yellowstone National Park, Bob Christiansen became puzzled about something that, oddly, had not troubled anyone before: he couldn’t find the park’s volcano. It had been known for a long time that Yellowstone was volcanic in nature — that’s what accounted for all its hot springs and other steamy features. But Christiansen couldn’t find the Yellowstone volcano anywhere.
Most of us, when we talk about volcanoes, think of the classic cone(圆锥体) shapes of a Fuji or Kilimanjaro, which are created when erupting magma(岩浆) piles up. These can form remarkably quickly. In 1943, a Mexican farmer was surprised to see smoke rising from a small part of his land. In one week he was the confused owner of a cone five hundred feet high. Within two years it had topped out at almost fourteen hundred feet and was more than half a mile across. Altogether there are some ten thousand of these volcanoes on Earth, all but a few hundred of them extinct. There is, however, a second less known type of volcano that doesn’t involve mountain building. These are volcanoes so explosive that they burst open in a single big crack, leaving behind a vast hole, the caldera. Yellowstone obviously was of this second type, but Christiansen couldn’t find the caldera anywhere.
Just at this time NASA decided to test some new high-altitude cameras by taking photographs of Yellowstone. A thoughtful official passed on some of the copies to the park authorities on the assumption that they might make a nice blow-up for one of the visitors’ centers. As soon as Christiansen saw the photos, he realized why he had failed to spot the caldera: almost the whole park—2.2 million acres—was caldera. The explosion had left a hole more than forty miles across—much too huge to be seen from anywhere at ground level. At some time in the past Yellowstone must have blown up with a violence far beyond the scale of anything known to humans.
1. What puzzled Christiansen when he was studying Yellowstone?A.Its complicated geographical features. |
B.Its ever-lasting influence on tourism. |
C.The mysterious history of the park. |
D.The exact location of the volcano. |
A.The shapes of volcanoes. |
B.The impacts of volcanoes. |
C.The activities of volcanoes. |
D.The heights of volcanoes. |
A.Hot-air balloon. | B.Digital camera. |
C.Big photograph. | D.Bird’s view. |
6 . Every year about 40,000 people attempt to climb Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. They
Hearing these stories, I’m
However, I soon
The best of a Kilimanjaro
Does Kilimanjaro
A.keep | B.mix | C.connect | D.bring |
A.stories | B.buildings | C.crowds | D.reporters |
A.position | B.age | C.face | D.name |
A.silent | B.skeptical | C.serious | D.crazy |
A.discover | B.argue | C.decide | D.advocate |
A.equipment | B.grass | C.camps | D.stones |
A.remote | B.quiet | C.tall | D.clean |
A.new | B.special | C.significant | D.necessary |
A.paying off | B.spreading out | C.blowing up | D.fading away |
A.atmosphere | B.experience | C.experiment | D.sight |
A.studied | B.observed | C.explored | D.regarded |
A.view | B.quality | C.reason | D.purpose |
A.scientists | B.climbers | C.locals | D.officials |
A.holding on to | B.going back to | C.living up to | D.giving way to |
A.changes | B.clears | C.improves | D.permits |
A.match | B.imagine | C.count | D.add |
A.village | B.desert | C.road | D.lake |
A.Obviously | B.Easily | C.Consequently | D.Finally |
A.permanent | B.little | C.fresh | D.artificial |
A.enjoy | B.deserve | C.save | D.acquire |
On Aug 13, four Chinese irrigation sites won global
Built over 2,000 years ago in
In ancient times, the region in which Dujiangyan now stands
Ever since the great Dujiangyan Irrigation System was completed, the Chengdu Plain has been free
Classical Chinese garden design aims to create a natural landscape on a small scale and emphasize the perfect harmony between man and nature.
A Chinese garden
A Chinese garden is where culture is both created and enjoyed. All plants mark the shift of the
9 . Washington, D.C. Bicycle Tours
Cherry Blossom Bike Tour in Washington, D.C.
Duration: 3 hours
This small group bike tour is a fantastic way to see a world-famous cherry trees with beautiful flowers of Washington, D.C. Your guide will provide a history lesson about the trees and the famous monuments where they blossom. Reserve your spot before availability — the cherry blossoms—disappear!
Washington Capital Monuments Bicycle Tour
Duration: 3 hours (4 miles)
Join a guided bike tour and view some of the most popular monuments in Washington, D.C. Explore the monuments and memorials on the National Mall as your guide shares unique facts and history at each stop. Guided tour includes bike, helmet, cookies and bottled water.
Capital City Bike Tour In Washington, D.C.
Duration: 3 hours
Morning or Afternoon, this bike tour is the perfect tour for D. C. newcomers and locals looking to experience Washington, D.C. in a healthy way with minimum effort. Knowledgeable guides will entertain you with the most, interesting stories about Presidents, Congress, memorials, and parks. Comfortable bikes and a smooth tour route(路线) make cycling between the sites fun and relaxing.
Washington Capital Sites at Night Bicycle Tour
Duration: 3 hours (7miles)
Join a small group bike tour for an evening of exploration in the heart of Washington, D.C. Get up close to the monuments and memorials as you bike the sites of Capitol Hill and the National Mall. Frequent stops are made for photo taking as your guide offers unique facts and history. Tour includes bike, helmet, and bottled water. All riders are equipped with reflective vests and safety lights.
1. Which tour do you need to book in advance?A.Cherry Blossom Bike Tour in Washington, D.C. |
B.Washington Capital Monuments Bicycle Tour. |
C.Capital City Bike Tour in Washington. |
D.Washington Capital Sites at Night Bicycle Tour. |
A.Meet famous people. | B.Go to a national park. |
C.Visit well-known museums. | D.Enjoy interesting stories. |
A.City maps. | B.Cameras. |
C.Meals. | D.Safety lights. |
Luoyang is one of the cities in China
Today, Luoyang still attracts many tourists every year. Located in the middle reaches(中游)of the Yellow River in Central China's Henan Province and
As one of China's ancient capitals, Luoyang was a seat of power for 13 dynasties and is a city with a splendid historical and